MoU with Norsk Kjernekraft

We are delighted to announce that we have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norsk Kjernekraft. This strategic collaboration signifies our mutual commitment to competence building in the field of nuclear technology and safety. We look forward to a fruitful partnership that elevates industry standards.

Here, an interview with Steffen Oliver Sæle CTO, Norsk Kjernekraft who told us more about Norsk Kjernekraft, their collaboration with KSU and why they want to build nuclear power plants in Norway.

Tell us a little about yourselves?

Norsk Kjernekraft is a recently started company with ambitions to build nuclear power plants in Norway, preferably SMR. The company is owned by actors with a particular industrial focus. We want to build, operate and own nuclear power plants in collaboration with existing energy and industrial players in Norway. Local anchoring and value creation are particularly important, and we have a strong focus on transparency right from the start

What are your biggest challenges?

After we started the first initiative to build nuclear power plants in Norway, over 40 municipalities have contacted us with an interest in nuclear power. All parties in the Storting, apart from one, now also have positive national assembly resolutions for nuclear power plants in Norway. This is therefore to the highest degree a grassroots movement, but it takes time before the same support reaches the top politicians in the country. The necessary regulatory frameworks are in place for the construction of nuclear power plants, but we need broad, robust and lasting positive support among the country’s top leaders. We respect that this may take time, but this is where the current biggest challenge lies

What’s next in your process?

We have recently submitted a “notification with a proposal for an impact assessment program” to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy for the first nuclear power initiative in Norway. This is the first formal step towards establishing a nuclear power plant in Norway, and has been done in close cooperation with the host municipalities, Aure and Heim in Møre and Romsdal and Trøndelag county. The next step will be to determine the impact assessment program with the relevant authorities and consultation parties, and then begin the impact assessment. After this, the process of acquiring other permits and concessions will begin.

What are the plans in general, how much installed capacity and plans for delivery of other than electricity?

We have a long-term perspective. By 2050, we want to establish 100 TWh of installed electrical capacity. That may sound like a lot, but with this capacity, it will still be necessary to develop more solar, wind and hydro power to meet the needs of climate change and new establishments. Capacity will also be expanded in collaboration with already established energy companies in Norway and municipalities. In addition, we will make use of the surplus heat and steam of nuclear power plants for cheaper production of hydrogen, hydrogen derivatives, fish and other food, district heating, cooling and freezing systems, and possibly also for recreational purposes. The amount of heat ultimately used depends on demand and the availability of the technology. It will also largely be up to our central political circles how much capacity is developed.

How did you get in touch with KSU?

KSU has been on our radar for a long time, as one of the leading centers in Scandinavia for nuclear safety. We initiated contact in the autumn and signed a cooperation agreement a few weeks after this. We look forward to the collaboration with KSU in the future. When Norway began its oil adventure in the 60s and 70s, we did so in collaboration with experienced companies and countries. We will use the same recipe when we build nuclear power plants in Norway. We will not reinvent the wheel.

What do you want to get out of the collaboration with KSU?

KSU has extensive experience in the nuclear industry, particularly in personnel training, both in the management and operation of nuclear power plants. It is this experience that we want to take with us when we establish nuclear power plants in Norway.